New Oak Cliff popsicle shop sexes up traditional Mexican paletas

New Oak Cliff popsicle shop sexes up traditional Mexican paletas

A new gourmet popsicle shop specializing in authentic Mexican paletas is opening in Oak Cliff. Encanto Pops comes from former advertising executive Diana Díaz, who'll open it at 831 W. Davis St., in the former Coco Andres chocolate space. She's aiming to open in May, just in time for summer season.

Díaz left her job at the Richards Group to launch Encanto with her sisters. "We've always wanted to do something together and had a passion for restaurants," she says. "We decided to start something for ourselves."

It's also a food group they know first-hand.

"We grew up in Mexico, and they're everywhere," she says. "And we have an uncle who does this; he has a paleteria outside of Chicago. He helped set this in motion by offering training and knowledge."

One of the things they want to ensure is that they're made authentically.

"Whenever we have paletas in Mexico, they have chunks of fruit," she says. "You get a lot of fruit inside. Some of the paletas we've had here are just puree, but we're going to do them the way they're done in Mexico. That's one of our priorities."

They'll also do a unique range of flavors. "We'll have traditional ones like vanilla and tamarind, but also the spicy flavors that are typical of Mexico," she says. "We did a pop-up in October and received a lot of positive feedback from people who liked the spicy pops."

They'll also do seasonal flavors, depending on what fruit is in season, and a flavor of the month.

Díaz says they adore the personality of the location, which became vacant after Coco Andres moved into a bigger location on Seventh Street.

"We love the ceiling, the exposed brick, the floors. We're going to try and keep all of that," she says.

They also love the neighborhood. "The area is amazing. It's very family-oriented, with a great mix of people," she says. "Everyone has been so friendly."